Knitting-machine.



` PATBNTBD JAN.8,1907. L

P. A. DEMBRS.

KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLIOATIO TILEDAUG. 5. 1902.

z sHnETs--SHEET 1.

` No. 849,828. PATBNTED' JAN..8, 1907.A

' P. A. DBMBRS.

. 'KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLIGATION FILED AUG. 5, 1902.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

wuewtoz UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIOE.

FRANK ALEXCE DEMERS, OFiST. HYACINTHE, QEBEC, CANADA, ASSlGNOR-OF ONE-HALF TO CHARLES E. WAKEMAN, OF PON- TIAC, MICHIGAN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 8, 1907.

Application 'led August 5, 1902. Serial No. 118,504.

T0 all whom t mrtycocern:

Be it known that I, FRANK ALEXCE DE` MERS, of the city of St. Hyacinthe, Province -of Quebec, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Knitting- Machines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and eXact description of the same.

This invention relates particularly to knitting--machines of the circular type; and it has for its object to obviate the stretching and wear of the yarn or other fleXible length being knitted, and thus produce a softer and closer fabric than it has been possible to produce heretofore by this type of machine, and a further object is to produce fabric with perfectly uniform spaced wales and stitches. In fact, as will be hereinafter shown, a circularknitting machine of the usual type furnished with coarse `needles--say of twentytwo gage-and provided with `my invention will produce fabric equal in fineness and appearance to fabric produced by the same machine without my invention when furnished With fine needles of, say, about twenty-six age. g The invention may b e said briefly to consist in arranging a cast-off wheel in a position (relatively to the circular gang of needles and the presser-foot) With its circumferential line intersecting the perimetric line ofthe gang of needles at a point to have its wings or teeth intermesh with the needles while the latter are in the act of emerging from the pressure of the presser -foot, and therefore cast the stitches off as they arrive at this point.

Another feature of the invention is providing means for causing the needles to, at

the time of the cast-off, successively assume a position closer to the point upon the castofiwheel bearing the loop of the stitch being cast off.

More specifically speaking, the invention consists in assembling a cast-off wheel, presserfoot, and a combined loop-slackener and needle-positioner in the following relative positions: The presser-foot is, as usual, outside the circle of needles and bearing upon the beards thereof, the cast-off Wheel, as usual, Within the circle, but in close roXimity to the presser-foot, and the combined loop-slackener and needle-positioner in close proximityl to the cast-ofi1 wheel. Vl-Tith the exception of the cast-oli wheel all of these instrumentalities, together With the cloth-Wheel, are adjustably carried upon a single stand.

For full comprehension, however, of my invention reference must be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which like reference characters indicate the same parts, and wherein- Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of a knitting-machine furnished with myY invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of my` improved stitch-forming instrumen.- talities taken on line A A, Fig. l. Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line B B, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective View of my impr oved frame for carrying my improved instrumentality and accessory instrumentalities. l Fig. 5 is a detail plan view of the rear side of the presser-foot, and Fig. 6 an end view thereof.

The rotatable cylindrical needle-carrier b,

the means (not shown) for driving same, needles c having beards d, loop or feed wheel e, presser-footy", cast-off wheel g, with its angular wings orV teeth h, cloth-wheel i, and guide y' are in themselves of the construction well known inthe art of manufacturing knitting-machines, and therefore need not be described in detail herein. The main frame 7c is also of usual construction, and the clothwheel 'i and guide j are carried thereby, as formerly.

The presser-foot f and my improved combined loop-slackener and needle-positioner, to be presently described, are carried upon a bracket m, forked at its lower end, as at n, to straddle the brackets of the main frame 7c, to which it is adjustably secured by a bolt o, taking through a slot p in the said standard and through a boring in the frame. This bracket is formed with a sleeve r, in which a rod s is yieldingly supported and carries a vertically-adjustable rod t, as formerly used for supporting the presser-foot. i The lastmentioned rod has a tapped boring in its upper end which receives a screw 2, between .the

IOO

C 9 n 1 ,upon which .the stitch is beingformed; .i

under side of the heel thereof is preferably beveled, as at 7, to accommodate the wings or teeth h of the cast-ofiI wheel, while an arm 8 is adjustably secured by screws 9 to this plate 5 near the opposite edge thereof and has a spindle l0 thereon, upon which a beveled wheel 12, having a steadying-sleeve, is rotatably carried. This beveled wheel constitutes my'combined loop-slackener and needle'- positioner and steadier, and it causes each needle as the stitch is to be cast therefrom to assume a position adjacent to the wing or tooth by which the stitch is being cast and steadies the needle in substantially the line of pull exerted by said wing or tooth. The needle is steadied because owing to its natural stiff resiliency it can only be displaced a very .minute distance, and consequently when the bevel-wheel displaces it this distance it strongly resists being displaced farther, and -hence stands momentarily. steadily in the position it is caused to assume by the bevelwheel, such position as is shown in Fig. 3 be- -ing in substantially the line of pull (indicated by dotted line 3) effected by thel particular wing casting off the loop. This positioning of the'needles slackens the stitch being cast oif and prevents unduey stretching of the loop. The cast-off wheel g is located between this combined loop-slaclcner and needlepositioner and the presser-foot, but onthe .f opposite side of the needle, and it is mounted,

, as usual, loosely upon a spindle 14, carried by cise location of this cast-oli' wheel is such that .its peripheral line intersects and projects 4o4 l as tovhave its wings or teeth pass through the .presser-foot formedby the bevel 7.

an adjustable bracket-arm 15, adjustably `secured by screws 16 to the interior hub, a

portionwhereof is indicated at 17. The preslightly beyond the perimetric line of the circular gang of needles and in such a position space Lat the under side ,of the heel of the This arrangement insures that the wings or teeth :will during the rotation of the wheel act upon the loop or stitches as they are emerging from 4the line ofvpressure .between the presser-foot and. |needles. Thus the new loop is moved continuously by the-wheel h, first over the closed beard and then `over the head of the needle.

i machines of the above type and ywherein it is known that the strain upon, andstretching of the yarn, is when the stitch is being cast off 5nd it is exerted mainly upon the portion of tlA yarn extending between the stitch last formed, andthe needle fromwhich the stitch `is being cast and between the-:last-mentioned needle and the needle adjacent thereto and `.with the presser-foot, because of its ,being carried upon the adjustable carrying part 5, upon which the presser-foot is mounted, while the presser-foot and presser-wheel are oppositely beveled in order to accommodate the cast-off wheel and obviate any chance of the yarn being cut between the said presser-foot and presser-wheel and the wings or teeth of the cast-off wheel as the stitch is being cast.

In order that the invention may be thoroughly understood, I will point out, in conclusion, that th'e combined landing and castoff wheel is set in such a position as to cause the lowermost wings in mesh with the needles to come in contact with the loops of the stitch previously formed and which have been pressed down in the regular way below the beards of the needles and y out of the way of the thread on the feed-wheel. These loops are then lifted by the wings and in their upward movement are landed onto the beards below the presser-foot, which has pressed the beards against needles, as usual, to allow said loops to pass over them. As the combined landing and cast-ofi" wheel continues rotating these loops in continuity of their movement are cast off successively and the stitches completed. My improved loopslackening and needle positioning and steadying device constituted by saidbeveled wheel 12 has been meanwhile borne upon by thei needles as they move past it, and the needles from which the stitch is being cast and those following it are successively caused to assume a position inward of their normal position and in close proximity to and below the wings of my combined landing and cast-off wheel, and the needles will assume this position simultaneously with the passage of the wings outwardly and upwardly from between the needles, and consequently as the stitch is being cast off. In this manner the wheel 12 relieves the lloop of yarn of undue strain, and therefore slacliens it and obviates the stretching thereof and destruction of its life. At the same time the friction created between the needles and my improved device steadies these needles suflicientlyto prevent their being displaced laterally awayfromy `uting the strain throughoutv a greater proportion of the fabric. This also enables the cast-off wheel to be set farther back from the needles, which preventsl the wings tripping vupon the ends and sides of the latter, as has frequently happened heretofore, with` the unl ders it possible to dispense with the separate landing-wheel, and the particular arrangement enables the cast-off wheel to answer the purpose of both landing-wheel and castof wheel heretofore used.

By the use of my invention additiona feed devices can be accommodated and the speed of the machineincreased from fifty (50%) to one hundred (100%) percent., thereby correspondingly increasing the output of this type of machine, and consequently correspondingly reducing` the cost of production.

What I claim is as follows: Y

l. In a knitting-machine the combination with a rotatable circular gang of bearded needles, a feed-Wheel and a presser-foot outside of said circular gang of needles for closing the beards thereof, anda cast-off wheel within said circular gang of needles, a combined loop-slackening and needleositioning and steadying device located in t e path of said needles and in a position to cause each needle as it is havingfits stitch cast therefrom to ride thereon and be displacedV toward the cast-off wheel, for the purpose set forth.

2. In a knitting-machine the combination with a rotatable circular gang of bearded needles, a feed-wheel and a presser-foot outside of said circular gang of needles, and a cast-off wheel within said circular gang of needles, a combined loop-slackening and needle positioning and steadying device in conjunction with said presser-foot and located in the path of said needles and in a position to cause each needle as it is having its stitch cast therefrom to ride thereon and be displaced toward the cast-olf wheel, for the purpose set forth.

3. In a knitting-machine the combination with a rotatable circular gang of bearded needles, of a presser-foot, an auxiliary presser member in conjunction with said presser-foot, a toothed cast-off wheel, on the opposite side of said needles to that upon which said presser device and auxiliary presser member bear, and intermeshing with the needles borne u on by said auxiliary presser member, for t e purpose set forth.

4. In a knitting-machine the combination with a rotatable circular gang of bearded needles and a toothed cast-off wheel intermeshing with the said needles, of a presserfoot, an auxiliary presser member in conjunction with the said presser-foot andl together therewith bearing upon the needles at the opposite side to that at Which the cast-olf wheel is located, the end 0f the bearing-face of the presser-foot adjacent to the said auxiliary presser member being beveled to accommodate the teeth of the cast-off wheel in the movement thereof, for the purpose set forth.

5. In a knitting-machine the combination with a rotatable circular gang of bearded needles, a toothed cast-off Wheel intermeshing with the said needles, of a presser-foot, an auxiliary presser member in conjunction with the said presser-foot and together therewith bearing upon the needles at the opposite side to that at which the cast-od wheel is located, the end of the bearing-face of the said presser-foot adjacent to the auxiliary presser member and the bearing edge of said auxiliary presser member being oppositely beveled to accommodate the teeth of the wheel in the movement of the latter, for the purpose set forth. f

6. In a knitting-machine the combination with a rotatable circular gang of bearded needles and a toothed cast-off wheel intermeshing with the said needles, of a presserfoot, a presser-wheel in conjunction with said presser-foot and .together therewith bearing upon the needles at the opposite side to that at which the cast-olf Wheel islocated, the end of the bearing-face of said presserfoot adjacent to said presser-wheel and the periphery of said presser-wheel being oppositely beveled to accommodate the. teeth of the cast-off Wheel in the movement thereof, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

7. In a circular-knitting machine the combination with a rotatable circular gang of needles, a cast-offwheel and a frame supporting a guide, a feed-wheel, and a cloth-Wheel, of a bracket and means for slackening the loop and positioning and steadying the 'feedle, said means being carried bysaid bracket and accessory to the stitch-forming instrumentalities carried by saidframe, and means for adjustably supporting said bracket for the purpose set forth. l

8. In a circular-knitting machine the combination with a rotatable circular gang of needles, a cast-off wheel and a frame supporting a guide, a feed-wheel, and a cloth-wheel, of a bracket, said bracket carrying a presserfoot, and a combined loop-slackener and needle positioner and steadie'r also carried by said bracket and accessory to the stitchforming instrumentalities carried by said frame, and means for adjustably supporting said bracket for the purpose set forth.

9. In a circular-knitting machine the combination with a rotatable circular gang of needles, a cast-off Wheel and a frame supporting a guide, a feed-Wheel, and a cloth-Wheel, of a bracket, a presser-foot and a combined loop-slackener and needle positioner and steadier carried by said bracket and accessory to the stitch-forming instrumentalities IOO carried by said frame, and means for adjustably securing said bracket to said frame7 for the purpose set forth.

10. In a knitting-machine, the combination with a rotatable circular gang of needles, of accessory stitch-forming instrumentalities and a toothed cast-oil wheel having its teeth ntermeshing with said needles, of a presser device located with the bearing portion of its face beneath the teeth adjacent thereto of said cast-off Wheel and in aposition to press the needles inwardly toward the axis of said cast-off wheel and retain them against displacement While the stitch is being cast 0H.

1l. In a knitting-machine, the combination with a rotatable circular gang of needles, and accessory stitch-forming instrumenv talities and a cast-off wheel having teeth of wing form7 of a presser device located with the bearing portion of its face beneath the teeth adjacent thereto of said cast-off wheel and in a position to press the needles inwardly toward the axis of said cast-oil wheel and retain them against displacement while the stitch is being cast olli.

12. In a knitting-machine, the combination with a rotatable circular gang of needles, and accessory stitch-forming instrumentalities, a presser-foot and a toothed cast-off wheel having its teeth intermeshing with said needles, of a presser device in conjunction with said presser-foot and located with the bearing portion of its face beneath. the teeth adjacent thereto of said cast-oit wheel and in a position to press the needles against displacement while the stitch is being cast-off substantially as described.

14. In a knitting-machineI the combination with a rotatable circular gang of needles, and accessory stitch-forming instrumentalities, a presser-foot, and a toothed cast-oli wheel having its teeth intermeshing with said needles, of a presser-Wheel in conjunction with said presser-foot and located with a portion of its periphery beneath the lteeth adjacent thereto of said cast-off Wheel and in a position to press the needle inwardly toward the axis of said cast-off wheel and retain them against displacement while the stitch is being formed, substantially as described.

In testimony whereo I have alixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK ALEXCE DEMERS. Witnesses:

M. BOA, RICHARD DORANN. 

